Faith, Hope and Grace
by Storybookgirl77
Summary: Set in current series. Can the Doctor help her new companion see his worth to the team? Is age really all in the mind?


Disclaimer I don't own Dr Who. All copyright belongs to BBC Wales and the original writers. No copyright infringement is intended nor should be inferred

Faith?

Graham sat on his bed in the TARDIS deep in thought. His life had changed beyond all recognition. He was Ryan's sort of grandad but apart from that there was nothing of the former bus driver he would recognise. He shook his head sadly.

"Why am I ere? Eh?" He sighed as he looked up to see the Doctor stood in the doorway watching him.

"You ok?" He nodded, her accent seemed to get stronger every time he hears her speak.

"Yeah. Course."

"Graham?"

"Just aving a minute. You know? Thinking about the past."

She nodded. "Yeah, I do that. Doesn't always help."

"No?"

"Nah." He motioned for her to sit down. Smiling she sat beside him. "Looking back, not always good. Memories are good. The happy times. But dwelling on bad things? Never done that. Always move on. Onwards and upwards. Alonse!"

Graham laughed slightly.

"I was thinking of Grace."

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's ok. I like to think of her, remember how we met. How she always made me laugh, her terrible cooking, the way the smoke detector signalled the toast was ready."

"Smoke alarm?" The Doctor wrinkled her forehead.

"My Grace had some wonderful talents. Cooking not one of them." He smiled. "Gawd, you should have seen her gravy. Solid most of the time."

"Solid gravy is a delicacy in the North Nebula Belt."

Graham raised an eyebrow. "She always said someone somewhere would appreciate her cooking."

"And she was right."

"I wish she was here. She's have loved every second of this." He gestured to the room around him. "Everything was an adventure to her. Not me. After me eart attack I was scared to live. She taught me not to be." He looked at the Doctor. "Yazmin and Ryan are young people. Full of questions, life and energy. Me? I'm an old man. Why bring me along?"

She frowned, Seriously considering his question. "I'm old."

"Not as old as me."

"Older. You're what? 70?"

"58. Cheeky mare."

"Well, in Earth years at the last count I was 1,295 years. Which is beyond old on Earth but if Gallifrey." She looked at her striped socks. "If I was at home I'd be considered middle aged, although the amount of Regeneration cycles I've been through would cause a scandal." She shuddered at the thought. "Plus I bet I'd still be in prison for liberating the TARDIS."

"You stole this?"

"No!" She looked offended. "I wanted to travel. She wanted to travel." She shrugged. "So did Susan. My oldest granddaughter."

"You are a granny!?"

"Er, Yeah. Well. Suppose. Not the point here." She help up her hand. "The thing is age doesn't matter. It's a number. Besides, you wanted to come."

"I did, yeah."

"And we make a good team. TARDIS , you, Ryan, Yaz and me. Don't we? Not travelled with so many for a while. Normally two companions maximum. Humans are great but hard work." She shook her head.

"Are we?"

"Yeah. Basically, your bog standard human is nothing more than a hairless monkey with anxiety. But you're great, fascinating as a species even if you do wanna destroy everything." Graham smirked slightly.

"So why am I here?"

"Because you were asked. You saved so many people and to be perfectly honest with you on the day we met I knew there was no way I could leave Ryan on Earth. Not on his own."

"True. He's a good guy but not the most accepting. Hated me on sight when I started seeing Grace." Graham paused. "Sorry."

"No, your right. He's growing up still. Yaz and him." She hopped to her feet before following him out to the control bay. "Rory is intelligent. Maybe not in a school way but she is. Yas I mean. She's teaching him as much as anything else."

"So?" Graham leant on the railing that surrounds the edge of the room. The Doctor smiled as she watched all the lights and dials whirl. Graham watched her, suddenly dealing with the idea that the Doctor's beloved time machine was as sentient as he was.

"Eh? So what?"

"So." Graham asked. "Why did you bring an old codger like me? All I've ever done is drive a bus."

"I like buses." The Doctor turned to him. "You should be proud that you drove the buses! All those people getting to and from the places they needed to be because you got them there. Buses are great. My friend Rose, got the bus all the time."

Graham laughed.

"Never thought of it that way."

"Do you want to go home? Stop travelling? Is that what this is about?"

"No!" Graham panicked slightly. "I'm aving the time of me life ere with you and the kids." He sighed. "Just wish you could have got to know Grace more. That she could've been ere."

The Doctor nodded. "I know. I wish we could have her back too. Even I can't do that. Focus on now Graham. Those two need you. I need you. Someone has to stop all of us going off on one. Look at how you reacted when that horrible man wanted to fight Ryan. Rosa Park's would have been erased from history if it weren't for you."

Graham blushed.

"Honestly. Why are you here? I only travel with the best. You know that. Clara, Bill, Amy, Rory, Jack, Martha, Donna, Rose." She paused. "Ace, Romana and all the others. All special in their own way. Same as Yasmin, Ryan and you. Think about that." The Doctor squeezed his arm before stepping past him to head into the body of the TARDIS. Graham shook his head as he thought about the recent past. Post partition India/Pakistan, Rosa Parks, the numerous nebula they'd visited. Life had changed. He had changed. He sighed running a hand over his face he thought about time, Grace and his life since he had met her. He had changed but just because he was thirty years older than the kids he didn't see why he couldn't have adventures. He still had things to offer, dicky heart or not. He looked up into the ether. "What do you say, Grace? I'll go on all the adventures for you? All the brave and slightly mad things you'd want to see and do I'll do for you. For us?" He nodded before turning to head back into the TARDIS.

Xxxx

A/N love graham - should I go on or make this a one shot? Please review


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